Getting back to normal

After the girls were briefly at school for a couple of days, it was the weekend again, and felt like we were right back in the holidays! Gym hadn't resumed and there was still little pressure on us to be anywhere or do anything specific.

Monday morning brought life back to a more normal schedule with a bit of a bang! School is really cranking up the gears as the EFG approaches a season of GCSE exams all coming together, with final assessments due to be completed and exams on the horizon, so she is working harder than ever. She's always worked hard but they are really piling it on now, and she has to stay to a couple of after school sessions now and again, to help with the time available to complete art and English assessments.

The YFG is back at gymnastics as of last night, and piano lessons, so her extra-curricular stuff is also off the ground again. She is struggling with a ganglion on her hand which hurts a little when she does handstands and cartwheels, so she is wearing a support on her hand and we have another appointment with the doctor next week. Last Friday we were at the orthodontist in Cambridge and she was happy to hear that the braces will be coming off within the next two appointments, so the light at the end of that particular tunnel is definitely in sight.

I am really trying to get into a housekeeping routine which is getting off to a little bit of a slow start although I did spring clean the ensuite on Monday, so I guess that is a place to start, and something to build on. I am trying very hard to make sure that the kitchen is clean and the surfaces clear before bed each night.

And the Grocery Challenge? Yes, I am still keeping up with this; there was a small spend yesterday so that I could restock a couple of items we were out of so here we are:

Skim milk powder (an ingredient in my baguette recipe) £2.25

Buttery spread £1.35

Vitalite (Dairy-free for me) £2.00 (for two, on offer)

Tea bags £1.00

So that total was £6.60, leaving £14.40 for the rest of the week.

There is still loads of meat in the freezer so there will be no need to buy any this week and the large sack of Picasso potatoes is half-full. The store cupboard is still looking healthy so I am fairly confident we will make it through the month on this regime.

If you are doing a similar challenge, do share how you are getting on, and what problems you are encountering. For me, now that school and all its associated activities are back on, it is finding the time for all the baking and cooking from scratch that has to be done. I do enjoy it, but this afternoon I have school meetings and then the EFG will be volunteering at Brownies from 6pm and then the YFG will be out as well as she goes to Guides at 7.30pm - both need to be picked up at 9pm so there are only small windows of opportunity to get things done.